The Nobel Peace Prize 1954 and 1981

Overview

AIM: to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problems.

Basic facts: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

In more than five decades, the agency has helped an estimated 50 million people restart their lives. Today, a staff of more than 6,000 people in more than 116 countries continues to help some 17 million persons.

International Organization

Name	Formal Name	Established
UNHCR	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees	3 December 1949; effective: 1 January 1951

Members: (executive committee, 64) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Yemen.

Flag

Image:

based

1. http://www.unhcr.ch/